Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago is the birthplace of steelpan, calypso and Carnival arts.

Music & dance Spirituality & rites Food & cooking Crafts

Knowledge in this place

Steelpan

A melodic percussion instrument hammered from oil drums, the national instrument.

Calypso

A witty, topical song tradition rooted in West African call-and-response and Carnival.

Moko Jumbie stilt walking

Moko Jumbie stilt walking

A West African-derived stilt-walking tradition of protective spirits seen at Carnival.

Spirituality & rites

Doubles

An Indo-Trinidadian street food of curried chickpeas between two fried bara flatbreads.

Carnival mas making

Carnival mas making

The craft of designing and building elaborate masquerade costumes for Carnival.